Jeremiah 1:3 kjv

It came also in the days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah, unto the end of the eleventh year of Zedekiah the son of Josiah king of Judah, unto the carrying away of Jerusalem captive in the fifth month.

Jeremiah 1:3 nkjv

It came also in the days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, until the end of the eleventh year of Zedekiah the son of Josiah, king of Judah, until the carrying away of Jerusalem captive in the fifth month.

Jeremiah 1:3 niv

and through the reign of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah, down to the fifth month of the eleventh year of Zedekiah son of Josiah king of Judah, when the people of Jerusalem went into exile.

Jeremiah 1:3 esv

It came also in the days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, and until the end of the eleventh year of Zedekiah, the son of Josiah, king of Judah, until the captivity of Jerusalem in the fifth month.

Jeremiah 1:3 nlt

The LORD's messages continued throughout the reign of King Jehoiakim, Josiah's son, until the eleventh year of the reign of King Zedekiah, another of Josiah's sons. In August of that eleventh year the people of Jerusalem were taken away as captives.

Jeremiah 1 verses

Jeremiah 1 3 Meaning

This verse precisely frames the period of Jeremiah’s prophetic ministry. It states that God’s word came to Jeremiah during the reigns of Jehoiakim and Zedekiah, two sons of Josiah, concluding with the devastating final exile of Jerusalem and its inhabitants in the fifth month of Zedekiah's eleventh year. This final event, marking the destruction of the Temple and city, serves as the climax and ultimate vindication of Jeremiah's message of impending judgment.

Jeremiah 1 3 Context

Jeremiah 1:3 functions as a historical colophon for Jeremiah's call and early prophecies detailed in the initial chapters. It continues the superscription begun in verses 1 and 2, which states that Jeremiah prophesied from the 13th year of Josiah. This verse extends that period to specifically encompass the turbulent reigns of Josiah's two sons, Jehoiakim and Zedekiah, leading up to the cataclysmic event of Jerusalem's destruction and the final wave of the Babylonian exile in 586 BC. This precise historical dating anchors Jeremiah's message in the grim realities of Judah's decline and ultimate judgment, serving as powerful evidence of the prophetic word's accuracy and divine origin amidst widespread skepticism and the opposition of false prophets who promised peace.

Jeremiah 1 3 Word analysis

• It came also: Connects this verse seamlessly with Jeremiah 1:1-2, implying the ongoing nature and continuing force of "the word of the LORD" throughout the specified reigns.
• in the days of Jehoiakim: (יְהוֹיָקִים, Yehowyaqim). Reigning from 609-598 BC, he was installed by Pharaoh Neco and later became a vassal to Babylon. Jeremiah intensely opposed his rule, specifically condemning his oppression, injustice, and impiety, highlighting his decision to burn Jeremiah's scroll as an act of defiance against God's word.
• the son of Josiah: (יאשיהו, Yo'shiyahu). Josiah was a righteous king, known for his religious reforms (640-609 BC). Explicitly connecting Jehoiakim (and later Zedekiah) to Josiah emphasizes their shared lineage and highlights the profound moral and spiritual decline of the Davidic line despite having such a godly father.
• king of Judah: Identifies the focus of the prophecy as the southern kingdom, the last vestige of independent Israelite kingship.
• unto the end of the eleventh year of Zedekiah: (צִדְקִיָּהוּ, Tsidqiyahu). Reigning from 597-586 BC, he was the last king of Judah before the destruction of Jerusalem, installed by Nebuchadnezzar after the exile of Jehoiachin. His final year marks the climax of Judah's downfall. This specifies the timeline to the moment of final judgment and exile, a period characterized by Jeremiah's unwavering calls for submission to Babylon, which Zedekiah tragically resisted.
• unto the carrying away: (הַגְלוֹת, haglot). This term signifies "to exile" or "to lead into captivity." It points to the main outcome predicted by Jeremiah. The language underscores the act of divine judgment—God allows His people to be taken from their land due to their unfaithfulness.
• of Jerusalem captive: (יְרוּשָׁלַ֫ם שְׁבִית, Yerushalayim sheviyth). "Jerusalem," the spiritual and political heart of Judah, the city of David and the Temple. "Captive" or "into captivity" refers to the population taken away. This highlights the severity of the judgment—the very core of Judahite identity and hope (city and temple) was utterly humbled. It implies the shattering of the false security many had placed in the inviolability of Jerusalem.
• in the fifth month: Traditionally the month of Av (July/August). This is a precise historical detail, marking the traditional date (the 7th or 10th of Av) of the destruction of Solomon's Temple and the walls of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar's forces (2 Kgs 25:8-9, Jer 52:12-13). This exact timing emphasizes the undeniable fulfillment of Jeremiah's protracted prophecies.

• "in the days of Jehoiakim... unto the end of the eleventh year of Zedekiah": This phrase precisely demarcates the historical scope of Jeremiah's primary prophetic warnings about Judah's impending destruction and exile, setting the stage for the fulfillment witnessed within the book itself. It covers approximately 23 years (from 609 to 586 BC).
• "Jehoiakim... Zedekiah... the son of Josiah": This linkage draws attention to the failure of Josiah's heirs to maintain the covenant faithfulness their father had revived. It speaks to a rapid spiritual decline within the royal household itself, underscoring the severity of the national sin.
• "unto the carrying away of Jerusalem captive in the fifth month": This climactic phrase identifies the ultimate, dire event toward which all of Jeremiah's prior warnings had pointed. It's not merely an exile, but specifically the destruction and subsequent deportation of Jerusalem's inhabitants, representing the final, shattering judgment on a rebellious people.

Jeremiah 1 3 Bonus section

The "fifth month" (Av) became a perennial day of mourning for the Jewish people, remembering not only the destruction of the First Temple in 586 BC, as alluded to here, but also the Second Temple in AD 70. This highlights the repeated pattern of divine judgment upon the city when its inhabitants stray from God's covenant. The specific mention of Jehoiakim and Zedekiah as "sons of Josiah" not only establishes their lineage but subtly sets up a contrast. Josiah was a reforming king who earnestly sought God; his sons, however, turned from his example, tragically bringing ruin upon the very kingdom he sought to preserve, illustrating the powerful truth that personal faith and national destiny are deeply intertwined. The careful detail of this superscription acts as an ancient form of validation, asserting the reliability and prophetic authority of the book that follows.

Jeremiah 1 3 Commentary

Jeremiah 1:3 precisely establishes the historical span of Jeremiah's prophecies concerning Judah's fall, bridging the time from Jehoiakim’s accession to Zedekiah’s eleventh and final year, culminating in Jerusalem's ultimate destruction and exile. This definitive chronological framework underscores the enduring nature of Jeremiah’s message despite rejection, proving God's sovereignty over history. The reference to Jehoiakim, a rebellious king who burned God's word, and Zedekiah, whose weakness led to final catastrophe, highlights the kings' pivotal roles in their nation's doom. The specifying of "the fifth month" of Zedekiah's eleventh year pinpoints the precise historical fulfillment of Jeremiah's long-standing, unpopular prophecies, making the Word's validation undeniable. This specific dating contrasts the false prophets' vague assurances, vindicating Jeremiah as a true prophet of God. The entire account illustrates the terrible consequences of prolonged national apostasy and rejection of divine warnings.